A collaboration between different construction industry organizations to create a publication that aims to provide a demonstration to contractors and designers on how they can effectively come up with zero energy office buildings.
The “Advanced Energy Design Guide for Small to Medium Office Buildings: Achieving Zero Energy” is a publication developed as a collaborative effort by a half-dozen construction industry organizations, which include the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), US Green Building Council (USGBC) and American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), aims to demonstrate to contractors and designers that zero energy office buildings are attainable. It is supported and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to ensure that the designing and constructing of zero-energy office buildings in all climate zones can be effectively executed.
“This guide provides a pathway to zero energy and presents design teams with strategies for achieving energy savings goals that are financially feasible, operationally workable and readily achievable,” says Paul Torcellini, project committee chair. “As we drive toward the crucial goal of reducing energy consumption and ensuring that zero energy buildings become the standard design and construction approach, publications such as this will become increasingly important.”
The topics covered in the publication includes lighting recommendations, retrofit advice, setting energy targets, and other energy-smart design considerations. Apart from these, they also discussed the control and management procedures on plug control to reduce the energy consumptions of these buildings.
Download the guide for free at www.ashrae.org/freeaedg.